Who Is Trinity

Welcome to my Word Press Bio Page. This page is designed for people who are visiting my Blog for the first time, or for people who would like to get a better picture of who I am.

The first thing you need to know about Trinity is, he is very reactionary when he writes. As you read posts that I publish, you are going to find a large number of things that are just me venting frustration. That is why I write…well one of the reasons I write. So if you read an outlandish statement in one of my posts, I apologize ahead of time for anything that may be offensive. However, if you check back a few days latter, you will almost always find a post that kind of looks back and takes a bit more moderated stance on the previous rant.

The second thing you need to know about Trinity is that I love to write. I’m a writer in my spare time and have a few writing projects that I’m kicking around and trying to develop. I belong to an artists group called the Ninos, who support each other in our various art forms, and encourage each other to stay true to our selves and the purpose behind our work. I’ve found myself surrounded by writers since I’ve graduated from college, and I love stories.

Other things that are important:

• I’m married, with no children yet.
• Music is a big part of my life, I sing and play guitar, and have always belonged to some kind of a music group for as far back as I can remember.
• I like SciFi and Fantasy stories and movies.
• I work as a Product Support Specialist at a sofware company.
• I’m a Mac User, and proud of it.
• I have a degree in Biblical Studies and Christian Ministries, which qualifies me to…do nothing.

I hope that you find my posts amusing at times, deep at others, or at lest readable most of the time as my spelling abilities are on par with a fourth grader. Thanks for visiting my blog, and feel free to leave a comment on anything you read.

Who Is Trinity

Welcome to my Word Press Bio Page. This page is designed for people who are visiting my Blog for the first time, or for people who would like to get a better picture of who I am.

The first thing you need to know about Trinity is, he is very reactionary when he writes. As you read posts that I publish, you are going to find a large number of things that are just me venting frustration. That is why I write…well one of the reasons I write. So if you read an outlandish statement in one of my posts, I apologize ahead of time for anything that may be offensive. However, if you check back a few days latter, you will almost always find a post that kind of looks back and takes a bit more moderated stance on the previous rant.

The second thing you need to know about Trinity is that I love to write. I’m a writer in my spare time and have a few writing projects that I’m kicking around and trying to develop. I belong to an artists group called the Ninos, who support each other in our various art forms, and encourage each other to stay true to our selves and the purpose behind our work. I’ve found myself surrounded by writers since I’ve graduated from college, and I love stories.

Other things that are important:

• I’m married, with no children yet.
• Music is a big part of my life, I sing and play guitar, and have always belonged to some kind of a music group for as far back as I can remember.
• I like SciFi and Fantasy stories and movies.
• I work as a Product Support Specialist at a sofware company.
• I’m a Mac User, and proud of it.
• I have a degree in Biblical Studies and Christian Ministries, which qualifies me to…do nothing.

I hope that you find my posts amusing at times, deep at others, or at lest readable most of the time as my spelling abilities are on par with a fourth grader. Thanks for visiting my blog, and feel free to leave a comment on anything you read.

I have been given a new position

So I work for company called Imagine Software.  I LOVE my job.  Over the past 3 years working there I have peen pushed to learn more about SQL and and server technologies then I ever though I would need to know (I’ve always been a hardware guy), but I’ve learned a lot more about helping people than I ever expected.   One of the running jokes when I first got hired was that my previous job was working as a Crisis Councilor and that working with suicidal kids was not that much different than working in tech support.  Little did I know how true that statement was.

Over the past 3 years our company has grown a lot, and our CEO has become very concerned with how that grow impacts that level of service our customer get.  So a new position was created in my department for a person to help manage the relationship we have with our clients, and ensure that they are still being successful (our product does billing of Insurance and Patients for Radiologists).  I have been chosen, along with one other person, to fill that position.

I’m excited!  This means that I will be assigned to a handful of clients to focus on what I do best: Make sure the clients are actually  getting the best service possible and making sure the client knows our Support Team REALLY DOES care about them.  So while I will be working less day to day issues for all of our clients, I will now be making bi-weekly calls to my assigned clients, just to make sure that their currently open issues are being addressed as well as seeing if there is anything else we can do to help them be more successful in their business.  In addition, I will be helping tickets move through our support system faster, as well as making sure my clients ticket are responded to and worked in a timely manner.  It’s not quite a promotion in that I will not have people reporting to me or working underneath me, but I will have control over the priority of issues and will have the freedom to ask people (inside my department and outside) to  make things happen if the client’s need warrants dropping what we are doing and getting it taken care of.  There are also some other perks, like if I can get my assigned client to be more successful, there is a whole bonus/incentive program where I will be rewarded for how well the client is doing each business quarter.

All in all…..I’m excited!  I’m really excited.  I typically do not like change, but I think this is a good one.  I have the support of my assistant manager, my boss, and my CEO.  I already have a reputation with our client base as being one of the people they go to if they have a real issue that needs to be taken care of, and my co-workers know me as a person who will put the customer first every time (At the end of the year, they voted me the winner of the “Bull Dog” award for being the kind of person who does not give up; I got a trophy and everything :-)).  There is bound to be drama in our department, because I don’t care how awesome your team is there will always be resistance to change.  But I’m SUPPER stoked, and have already started calling my assigned clients with the news that I am their CRM (Client Relationship Manager).

I’ve got a lot of work ahead of me this quarter to get everything started with my clients, but once I get momentum started this is a train that will not stop.

Living in Charlotte

So It’s time for me to do my no-so-semi-annual blog post.

Life in North Carolina has gotten a little bit closer to what I am used to having back in California.  Mostly this is due to the fact that my wife and I have moved from Mooresville to the “Big City” of Charlotte.  At least to North Carolinians, this is the big city.  It’s only slightly bigger than Pasadena but it a much cooler skyline.  At night, the Duke Energy building has a it’s entire out line glow in different colors, and the colors change all night long.

I have also really hit my stride at my work place.  The customers that I work with really like me, and my co-workers are people that (most days) I enjoy working with.  Not a bad place to be if you spend 40+ hours there a week.  The company is also growing, so it’s cool to be one of the first one’s in and watch everything get bigger and better.  In a day and age when people are struggling to find work, and those that do have it are worried about keeping it, it’s a true blessing to work in a place that not only take care of it’s employees but also has a strong and secure future ahead of it.

We will have been in Charlotte for a year this month.  I know, I really do a great job of posting on this blog.  It’s nice to live only have a 20 min max commute to work.  But my wife and I still miss home.  DO NOT TRY TO NAVIGATE THIS CITY WITH OUT A GPS!  Back in California all the of cities were laid out in a grid.  If you missed a turn, you can easily find an alternate street to get back to where you need.  The city was built hundreds of years ago!  So everything is laid out in circular spider web.  And the names change at the drop of the hat.  The other day we started on 3^rd street, which turned into Queens street.  This took us to the corner of South Queens and South Queens!  A 5 point intersection of South Queens, South Queens, North Queens, and Queens Ave.  So which way am I supposed to turn?  Turns out, I just need to go straight, and it turned into Sharon!  And the south says the Yankees are crazy?  Pick a name and stick with it!

Other than fun driving experiences, we found REAL Mexican food!  It’s so bad for us, and not on our diet (yes I need to drop some weight), but it is like a little piece of home when we go there to eat.

So here are some pics of Charlotte I stole from my wife’s blog.  For the record, some of these are her cast off pics because they do not meet her normal standards…but I like them so the can go on my blog where the standards are more….lacking.

So here is something we found on our walking tour of Charlotte in December.  I guess wherever you go, you are not really that far from Charlotte.

Charlotte is everywhere

Given my driving experience above, this sign post has a special place in my heart.

All hail the Queen

Charlotte is known as “The Queen City”.  Being from the LA area, I initially thought that perhaps this was a comment on the night life and had visions of West Hollywood in my mind.  The city is actually named after Queen Charlotte (seen above with her royal yappy dog).  The settlers who first founded Charlotte named their city after their Queen (according to plague on the statue) because they loved her so much.  I personally think there may be something to the fact that another queen’s name was associated with a settlement to the north, but my understanding of European/Early America comes mostly from movies so this is just speculation.

Is this irony?

So the sign is a little hard to read, but the jug with the ‘P’ hug over the door of the Town Tavern says “Prohibition”.  Is this irony?  I never get that right?  Point of interest: The regal statue of Queen Charlotte above, is located in front of this fine establishment.

Trees in the City

Even in the middle of downtown Charlotte, you are surrounded by trees.  They are everywhere.

Big Disk Thingy

And the last thing I leave you with is a big disk looking thingy.  All over Charlotte there are sculptures and big pieces of art.  This one stands about 14 feet tall.  The cool think is that while it looks really kind of cool from a distance, if you get up close and touch it is is detailed and textured with a lot of fine details.  Like a lot of things you see in Charlotte, there is a lot more to it then first meets the eye.

So, until next time…whenever that is.

Over a year later

It’s ok, you can say it. It has been a year an a half sense I posted my last blog entry. So why do I even bother keeping it up? Why don’t I just scrap it? And the simple answer is: Becuase I wrote a blog post a long time ago about a function of word press that is still getting 25+ hits a day and I feel really good about myself when I think that total strangers actually are helped out by my post.

To tell the truth, I work all day in front of a computer, typing e-mails and responses on our support ticket to answer people questions ALL DAY long. When I get home the last thing I want to do is turn the computer on (However I have recently been hooked into the Garden’s of Time game on Facebook). So I have gone over a year and a half because I just don’t feel like writing any more.

I recently moved closer to my work place. This has been great since commuting 7 miles instead 65 miles has really helped out with the amount of money I spend to put gas in the tank. I now live in Charlotte NC. To give a comparison, Charlotte is about the same size and scope as Passadena California. Kind of sad with you realize that Charlotte is the second largest City in NC next to the capitol. But it does mean that we are finally finding place to eat and cool things to do that we did not have in Moresville.

Work is going really well, and I really love my job. Yes, there are days when I want to beat my co-works and customers alike with a 2×4, but I have a lot more good days then bad, and who can complain about that? My wife has started her own beauty blog. Check it out, I’ve put a link under the family section in my blog roll.

Well, that’s all I really have time for right now. I am on vacation this week so I may get the change to post more. So until next time.

Somthing to Show For It

So, since I’ve managed to obtain ful time employment, my blog entries are non-existant. Something about working infront of a computer all day, driving home, and wanting to spend time with my wife instead of an other computer.

So my Dad asked me a few weeks ago if we had any pictures of where we live, so he can see what North Carolina looks like. So here are some pics that my amazing wife took while on a sight seeing excersion with her Mom to see local senery.

Lake Norman Marrina

Mooresville is a lake side town. This is a shot of Lake Norman form one of the not-so-public docks.

Line of Docked Sail Boats

Yes, the Lake is big enough for sail boats.

Typical North Carolina Walking Path

Everywhere I go, I find trees. Not like where I grew up, but thick mini forests that are EVERYWHERE. This pic show just how thick.

Statue for the Fallen

One of the ironys of living in the South. Notice this statue for the fallen who gave their life for their state in durring the Civil War. Notice the Flag on the right, and the flag engraved on the base of the statue. And Notice the trees?

Old Jeff Gordan Car

Mooresville is the home of NASCAR. By that, I mean that many of the teams acutally test, build, and live, in Mooresville and the surrounding area. This is an old retired Jeff Gordan Car that is just sitting in the parking lot of one the race team shops. Just sitting there collecting dust! Becuase NASCAR is such a common element here that it’s no big deal to the locals. Again, Notice the trees?

Mooresville PD

So much a part of this place that Moorseville PD paints their cars like checkered flags, and sport the Town motto “Race City USA”. Are there trees in this picture too?

English Ivy

And my last pic I will post is a shot of, you guessed it, more trees. This one is different becuase it shows one of the biggest issues North Carolina has with plants. English Ivy is everywhere. This stuff grows over whole acers of trees, takes over tellophone pools and their wires, and is almost impossible to get rid of becuase it grows back so quickly.

So in summary, what does North Carolina look like? It’s green, wet, and full of NASCAR fans.

First Week is Over

So I completed my first full week of work for my new employer. Imagine is a company that makes a software package designed to help correctly bill medical services. What do I know about medical billing…absolutely nothing. But, thankfully I do know a bit about how to do tech support.

So how did my first week go? Really well. Apparently the annual users conference was held on Monday and Tuesday, so there was hardly anyone in the office to meet. I was given a large amount of reading to start with, and asked to shadow some people to get an idea of the process of how tech support is handled at imagine. Wednesday was a little bit different. I was given a hard copy of the user’s manual for the main portion of the product I will be supporting. It was over 1300 pages long. So I was a little over whelmed at the prospect of having to get all that information shoved inside my head as fast as possible.

All in all, the week went very smoothly. My boss is a great guy who, in the short time I’ve been there, has shown a great ability to be friendly but still crack the whip when needed. The ladies I work with (yes, beside from my boss I am the only other male in the department) are all cool and easy going. I feel like I was welcomed in as part of the team.

What am I worried about…not knowing what to worry about. On the one hand I’m a little intimidated by the amount of information being thrown at me. On the other hand, most of what I’m having to learn really has to do with the process of getting a procedure billed, and paid for, because it is complicated when you try to get insurance companies to pay for something. I’m sure that I will do very well, once I have had a few weeks to get the terminology and processes down.

So it was a great week of work. I can’t wait to see where this goes.

He shoots…He scores!!!!!!

Today is a good day. Today is the day that I can breath for a bit, enjoy the great weather outside, get some things done around the house, and bask in the lifting of a huge burden. I got a job offer!

Now, in light of the recent stuff that has bee happening on the internet with people getting job offers, and then saying something stupid that results in the offer being pulled, I’m not going into details. But I have an offer! That means I made it thought the interview process and they actually want me! It’s so nice to feel wanted. We just need to get though the formalities of the hiring process, and I should start latter this month.

OK, so now that I breathed…I am not off the hook as far as stress goes. If I start this job latter this month, that means I will not see any kind of a pay check until next month. So there are these nice people, like utility companies, grocery stores, gas stations, that seem to need this thing called money. And if you try to reason with them and explain that you will pay them back latter, then they call these nice people with guns to cart you away, or just turn off luxuries like your power and your gas. I might be able to find some work with Tek Systems in this time, but I basically have about 2 weeks (starting today) to pay for a whole month’s worth of expenses.

My wife and I found out about the job offer on Friday, so we celebrated by…well dancing around and jumping for joy ( that kind of celebration is free). Today starts the last part of the trek out of a dark tunnel. This job almost seems to have to have come too late for us to make things work, but I refuse to be beat down. I have a few contacts, I know a few people, and God has gotten us this far so there is no reason why he won’t provide what we need to get to the end.

Maybe this is just a lesson that I need to keep learning in life. There are people who care for me, who are willing to help me when the can. And God has always been watching my back, and saving me at the last minuet when things get really bad. I just have to hold on and wait, and see what he pulls out of his sleeve this time. I’m not going to mention a dollar value of what I need to make this month’s obligations, but it’s not impossible if I just don’t give up and keep asking people for work. I got a job offer. I’m on a roll now and just need to keep it up.